Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court on Sept. 1 upheld a lower court ruling giving a father decision-making authority over his daughter’s attendance at an evangelical church. The case stemmed from a 2024 dispute between Matthew Bradeen and Emily Bickford regarding their then-11-year-old daughter’s religious upbringing.
Bickford had been taking her daughter to multiple weekly services at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland in Westbrook. Bradeen contended the church constituted a harmful environment, arguing that church teachings on the rapture had triggered anxiety and panic attacks in his daughter. The lower court agreed, determining that certain church language was psychologically damaging to the child, particularly how the church characterized the father.
The original court ruling granted Bradeen authority to decide whether his daughter could attend Calvary Chapel services or interact with church members. The ruling stated that while the parents must continue sharing parental rights regarding exposure to other religious organizations, the father holds final decision-making power in cases of disagreement. The Maine Supreme Court affirmed this arrangement on Sept. 1.
Liberty Counsel, the law firm representing Bickford, announced plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the ruling violated First Amendment protections. The firm contended the decision reflected hostility toward religious beliefs and interfered with a parent’s right to direct her child’s religious upbringing. An attorney representing Bradeen characterized the decision as well-reasoned and said her client was satisfied with the outcome.
The case included details about a church service where the pastor delivered a six-and-a-half-minute prayer addressing the custody dispute, referencing the parents and child by name approximately 30 times. According to court documents, Bickford did not remove her daughter from the service. Bickford and her legal team have 90 days to pursue an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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